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Code Orange can't seem to make up their mind whether they'd take nu-metal or grunge as their primary inspiration. When they nod to nu-metal I find it repulsive and that 'Swallowing the Rabbit Whole' video/song was off the charts cringe just like 'Forever' from their last album. Thankfully Reba's catchy vocal line rescued the title track here so I suppose I'll listen to the other songs you recommended. Wish they would have her sing lead all the time and embrace grunge instead (maybe now that their sideproject is over they will) of nu-metal like on Bleeding in the Blur https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9-l8_t4AS8.

Indeed, a divisive group (and I would truly love to see the reaction from the forum to this back in the day!). But I think you're a little harsh on the hardcore side of the band, which I think still leads over the nu-metal aspects, although I agree that the Reba (female vocalist, for those catching up) fronted songs are generally superior. I hate to say it, but like Poppy I think we're not the primary audience for music like this, which makes me feel like an old guy catching up! But I do stand by this review and I do think that it's great that Roadrunner are putting out difficult (even if you don't like it, you have to admit it's not straightforward) shit like this for the kids to bop to. Sure, they'd be better if they went more grunge than nu-metal, but I think others will take what we think of as cringe as experimental and intense/groundbreaking. There are kids out there who are going to discover everything from Cryptopsy to Merzbow from Code Orange and random internet searches, and while they have the potential to release a really good album CO will always be valuable as a gateway band.

Even if I think Code Orange's 90s altrock sideproject Adventures was a touch too soft still I'm getting old enough to prefer
this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgqAc2Ux1Tw

And maybe I am too harsh. I see people jumping around like morons and I assume nu-metal when it be more accurate to call it hardcore. They are a net positive in the gateway sense.

I didn't know about Adventures! Thanks for that.

And yep. People are always going to jumpdafuckup, it just comes down to who can do it least cringiley....

I'll walk back some of the nu-metal criticism from earlier. I forgot they are on Roadrunner: one has to allow that Swallowing the Rabbit and Forever are made at least in part to be marketed as singles. Now that I've heard more of their music aka every track you recommended on this album and others on their last one, they are really capable of integrating electronic well. I'm not very familiar with glitch (I have heard Sweet Trip at least) but the start stopping of the music actually works as a net positive here. In addition to Reba Meyers' excellent vocals Jami Morgan is clearly a competent singer in his own right as proved by the catchy NIN influenced 'The Easy Way'. I think I understand better now why critics love this album as they do have a lot of talent and their influences are all over the map but I think they'd be better suited with a more focused identity: use only the two singer vocalists, drop the breakdowns entirely and most/all of the screams, and make a new genre of alt-metal/glitchgrunge. Not suggesting they do this immediately on their next album (as you note they are still heavier than Slipknot now), but progress that way over their next couple.

And Code Orange definitely would have been a Code Red discussion back in the old days on the forums here!

Did a deep dive on Code Orange: what else is there to do in the quarantine? First two albums are ok but hardcore breakdowns only go so far for me: the shoegazey sludge of 'Dreams in Inertia' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13Etw4O ... ex=22&t=0s is an early highlight of their potential even if the track is pretty unfocused.

Bleeding in the Blur from thee last album really changed what they could do with a clear nod to grunge, but three elements have really leveled up their music on this album: the guitarwork is becoming more technical (Reba Meyers admitted after Forever that hardcore made her playing stupid and she's since fallen for metal solos and Dimebag's pinch harmonics, note that incredible use in ColdMetalPlace), the added electronic elements, including the glitch stops, work much more than they don't (Eric Balderose is a secret weapon with the death growl, electronic control, and ability to be a third guitarist live), and I love singers who sound like Shirley Manson. Actually have to give this album an 85/100 as tracks like Autumn and Carbine, Sulfur Surrounding, and Who I am are made for my Reba Manson obsession. I'm definitely not sold on Jami Morgan as their frontman, as the Anselmo/Taylor/De La Rocha impressions fall flat, but The Easy Way shows he can work as a Reznor singer in the future. Can't believe I think a group of straightedge hardcore kids from Pittsburgh now has the most potential of any popular metalish band in the coming decade but this is a strange year.

As their tour was obviously cancelled they uploaded an entire empty venue concert to youtube: integrating all the electronic elements into their show goes pretty seamlessly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w28E926DEAQ&t=2452s

I am beyond pleased that a band I randomly decided to review to add spice has become such an obsession for you to the point where you like them more than me! And to think I nearly declared their album before this to be the better one... but it hadn't quite got the electronic elements as well interwoven as this album does. And yes, their earlier stuff isn't particularly interesting, and I do hope they get even better as they move further from hardcore; how much Jami Morgan looks like a lost Franco brother is entertaining enough for me to overlook any shortcomings (although I think your love for Reba might be blinding you here, he's not bad at all whether harsh or singing!) I'll check that concert out properly, but a brief play made me feel like an idiot as they dealt with the glitchy bits by... stopping playing. I thought it was all studio trickery, so kudos for being technical enough in that way!

Yeah! Thanks for forcing me to confront my biases against this type of heavy music: I'm totally going to see Code Orange when this virus finally leaves. You are right I'm being unfair to Jami Franco, but Shirley Manson is one of my top 10 singers! She elevated so many mediocre Garbage instrumentals (I'll surely post one soon in the track thread) that a baby version of her is going to get my biased love. Surprised you almost preferred Forever: guess I'd better listen again.
If nothing else I'd check out their live version of The Hunt (track listing should be upvoted to the comment section of the link I posted). Corey Taylor isn't there obviously to do his guest vocals but Reba fills in admirably. Speaking of Corey Taylor, I've been enjoying the most recent Slipknot album as well as Pantera today too? Clearly the quarantine has affected my brain.

Final rating on this one is an 80, and after you compared Forever so did I, and would put it virtually identical to the score here, or maybe a point or two lower.

The electronics sometimes get in the way of their best riffs, two great examples are the verse riff in Cold Metal Place and the breakdown riff in In Fear. I now have a much better understanding of the clashing sounds thanks to the lovely Reba's guitar playthrough of much of the album linked here https://www.twitch.tv/videos/591403339 I'm all for electronic ambience (both the tracks listed have very good use of those, like the guitarless transition to the pinch harmonic riff at the end of Cold Metal Place or the clean sung interlude early in In Fear) but the bleeps and bloops can't be interfering with a band's signature sound. If they want to go full NIN on their next album they have to dial back the guitars (I hope they don't go that way) which is what they do for most of the title track and that explains why it works.

Their previous albums are like 85-90/100 for me. I Am King blew me away when I first heard it and Forever was an improvement. But this album was very womp womp 50/100. Even the less strange songs on this album just aren't as good as their older stuff, but I also love me some hardcore and think their breakdowns are sick. It all just sounds disjointed and I don't think it is the industrial stuff's fault, but just a wonky album.

I really liked it in terms of the unique melding of NIN-isms and hardcore. I don't think I've heard a hardcore band introduce these elements so well before, and some of the riff here are just crushing (Swallowing the rabbit whole/in Fear/A cold place). The band has earned their success and its been a treat to see them come to the forefront of metalcore over the last 10 years

The riffs here, particularly the tracks you cited and You and You Alone, really are outstanding, and Autumn in Carbine is unquestionably my favorite grunge in 2020 song. Pretty cool that we of all people agree on this band; I'm sure I would have hated them in 2015. Can't want for quarantine to end because they will absolutely be seen by me, multiple times.